$2M offered to Ohio farmers to help reduce algae

Farmers in 20 counties in the western Lake Erie watershed can apply for some of the funds

TOLEDO -- The federal government is offering $2 million to Ohio farmers to help prevent farm runoff that contributes to potentially harmful algae blooms.

Farmers in 20 counties in the western Lake Erie watershed can apply for some of the funds to plant cover crops to reduce nutrient runoff and erosion. The federal money, provided by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, is aimed at reducing future algae blooms.

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown and Toledo Rep. Marcy Kaptur announced the funds Tuesday in Toledo. Earlier this month, toxins from algae in Lake Erie left about 400,000 people in Toledo without clean tap water for several days.

In a statement, Brown says the federal funding is a critical component to stopping runoff before it starts.